Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-02-19
The President Vetoes the Dependent Pen
sion Kill.
Strong ard Poroiblo Reasons for His
Ac.ion.-Trauaa Under the Bill
Possible.
the DEPENDENT PARENTS PENSION bill

IWsFuTs FIITITITW III WNT TNT TNF TFEIFT UT UFTT"TV-
ent parents and honorahly discharged soldiers
and sailors who are now disabled and dependent
upon their own labor for support This IL the
first general bill that has been sanctioned by
congress sinco the close of the late civil war per-
hitting "A pension to soldiers and sailors who
served Ii that war upon tho ground of service and
present disability alone, and entire absence Of
any injuries received toy casualties or incidents
of such service. While, by almost constant leg
islation since tho close of this war there has been
CONVERSATION AWARDED For EVERY POS.
sfBLE INJURY RECEIVED
AS a result of military service in the union army,
and which a great number of the laws passed for
that purpose have been administered with great
hberality, and nave been supplemented by
numerous private acts to reach special cases,
there has not until now been au avowed de-
parture from the principle thus far adhered TO
respecting union soldiers; that the bounty OF
the government in the way If pensions II gem
TINS military service, in the line OF
military duty, have TO a greater or
less extent been disabled. But it
- - mistake TO suppose that the service of PEN
sions, eucil as is provided by the second section
of the bill under consideration, lis new 10 our
Legislation. Ia 1918, thirty-nve years after the
close or tho revolutionary war, there were
granted 10 soldiers engaged in that struggle, con-
ditional upon service until the end OF the war,
or for a term not less than nine months, and re-
curing every beneficiary under the act to be one
who il, or hereafter by reason OF his reduced
/ circumstance in life shah be, in need Of assist
snce from his country for support"
ANOTHER Law or LIKE CHARACTERS
was passed in 1923 requiring service "to the
close If the revolutionary war. and still another
passed IN 1892 provided for those persons not in
clnded IN previous statutes. bat who served two
years al some time dariug the war, and giving "a
proportion. te sum 10 those that had served not
less than six months service. A pension law
was passed for tho benefit 81 the soldiers uf 1872
il the year 1871, t~ft}-six years after the close OF
that war. which replied only sixty days' service,
and another passed in ISIS, sixty-three years
after the war, requiring Only fourteen days
%terYice. Iha pension bin passed al this session
Of congress thlrty-Elno years after tie close OF
the Mexican war for the benefit uf the soldiers
~ that WAT, requires either some degreo If d.sa-
hiljty, dependency, or that tie claimant under
its provisions shoEld be G3 years Of age: and IN
either case tuat he shuuld have served sixty days
or been actually engaged in battle. 1t will be
seen that
THE BILL OF 1918
and the Mexican pension biz being thus passed
nearer the close OF the wars in which - heneti-
Charles were engaged than the others-one thirty
hNe years ana the other thirty-nine years after
the termination OF such wars embraced persons
who were quite advanced in age, assumed to be
comparatively few ia number. and whose CirCum-
stances, dependence and disabilities were clearly
defined and could toe quite easily fixed. Tho
other laws referred to appear TO have been passed
at q timc so remote from the military service Of
the persons which they embraced that their ex-
trcme Hgc alone was deemed sufficient to supply
the presumption Of dependency and need. The
number of cnlistIueuts in the evolutionary war
IS stated TO be BOP. 79l, and III the war of 1872
tffsB--E thL ~ - NhAi wa w -
repeated fr-rnli-tucnts the number Of ibdividu-
ais engaged in the wars did not exceed one-half
Of the number represented by these figures. In
the war with Mexico the number of enlistments
is reported to be li2,230. which represents Il
greater proportion of individuals engaged than
the reported enlistments in the two previous
wars.
THE NUMBER or PENSIONS
under all laws to soldiers Of the revolution il
given az 62,069: TO soldiers Of the war of 1912 and
their widows. 60.l7S and to. the soldiers of the
Mexican war and their widows up to june 80,
1885, 1919. i his number OF pensions WAS granted
to soldiers of war involving much hardship for
disabilities incurred as a result of such service,
and 1T was not till within the last month that the
Few remaining survivors were awarded service
pension. The var Of the rebellion terminated
nearly twenty-five years ago. The number Of
men furnished for its prosecution Is stated To be
2,I12,luS. No correspond .Dg number of statutes
have ever been passed Ia every kind of injury ,r
disability incurred in the military service Of any
war. Under these statutes f6l ,576 pensions have
been grant q from the year 1861 to June 30. 1856,
and more than 2,600 pensioners have been added
to the rolls by private acts 'assed 10 meet cases,
many Of them Of question, ole merit, which the
general laws did not cover. On the LIST day of
July, 1886, 365,b73 pensioners OF all classes were
UPoN THE PENSION ROLLS,
IF whom sos 60j were survivors Of the war Of the
rebellion and their widows and dependents. For
the year ending June 80. 1851 S75,UO.0 900 has
been appropriated for the payment of pensions,
and the amount expended for that purpose from
1861 to July /, 1856, is S6Os, ga, 8ll.5l. While an
nually PAYNE out such a vast sum for pensions
already granted, IL is now proposed 10y the bill
under consideration 70 award a service pension
To soldiers Of all war. in which the United States
has been engaged, including, OF course, the war
or the rebellion. and to pay those entitled to the
benefits Of the act So per month, SO far as it
relates to the soldiers Of the late civil war the
bounty il affords them is given thirteen years
earlier than il has been furnished TO the eoldiete
of any other war, and before a large majority III
Its benelciaries have advanced IN age beyond
the strength aud ylgor Of the prime Of life. II
Z - - IA I VM IA ( w a. p FsN kAy NTn nf ~ Fn1
months. without any requirement Of actual en-
gagemeut in battle, and without subsection TO
any of the actuat dangers of war.
THE PENSION 1T AWARDS
is allowed 10 enlisted men who have not suffered
the least injury. disability. loss or damage Of any
kind incurred in, or in any degree tcfefahle to
their military service. including those who never
reached the front at AZ. and those discharged
from rendezvous AZ the close Of the war, If dis
charged three months after enlistment. Under
the last call Of the president for troops in de-
cember. 1874, il,&U3 men were fdnished-who
We're tins discharged. Tie section allowing this
pension does, however. reqGire, besides service
of three months and an honorable discharge.
that those seeking the benefit Of the act shall ha
such as ARE now or mpy hereafter be suffering
from mental or physical disability not the result
Of their own vicious habits or RrDrs carelrehnrss
which incapHcita'es them fer tho performance 81
labar in such degree - 10 render them unable 70
Darn support, nld VINO are dependent upon theiI
daily labor for support If provides turtheT
TINT sucn persons shall upon making proof ut
Tho fact. "bo placed on the list of invalid pen.
sioners OF ito United States, aud be entitled 20
RECEIVE roK 9rcn TOTAL INABILITY
to procure thcir subsistence by daily labor S1l
pcr no 1nth; and such pension rhall
from tho date Of tile fling az the application in
the pension Office. upon proof that tine disability
then existed, and continue during the exist nee
of the same ia the degree herein provided; pro
Yidcd. thni persons Who are now receiving pen.
ei0ns un0 ~ existing laws, or whose claims ARC
pending III the pension Office, may by appliCa.
tion o. Ill" commissioned nj pensions, in ruci
torn rs ne may prescribe, receive the benefit oi
this act lti1 mnuilestly a the utmost i'm.
portancc that the statutes which, like the pen.
sion laws. should ~ libcraJiy administered as
measures of hrnCyulcnce In behalf ~ worthy
~. 10 theit general utj@rts and consequences.
Upon careful consideration Of the language 81
the section OF this bill above given, il see9as Il
me- % BE 20 uuccftain and liable 10 such con.
Hlctinc constructions. and 10 toe subject 10 surf
unjust and mlscnie1ious application, is to Aluna
furnish
SUFFICIENT GROUND FOR nISAPPRCNING TIE
PROPOSED LEGISLATION.
Persrn ms seeking to obtain the pension provided
by this section must be now or hereafter
/. Suffering from mental or physi' al disa.
bility."
2. ''Such disability must not be the result. a
their own vicious habits or gross cafeleesnees.'
8. Such disability mast be such as Z" rcapici
tates them from the performance of labor ii
such a degree as to ader them unal le % earn
support"
4. They must be dependent upon their dali,
labor for support"
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